Here's something worth waking up for: Coffee is actually good for all you! Especially for all the physically active folks! Yes, this is true; I am a yogi after all and this means practicing satya or truthfulness in every aspect of life. And to all the yogis out there who catagorically oppose the ingestion of caffeine I say LIGHTEN UP and practice what you preach, non-judgement and acceptance of factual information.

I heard about the positive effects of caffeine on muscle recovery many times but considered it an anecdotal piece of advice, but it is actually a verifiable fact. According to a February 2007 issue of The Journal of Pain, a team of University of Georgia researchers found that moderate doses of caffeine, roughly equivalent to two cups of coffee, cut post-workout muscle pain by up to 48 percent in a small sample of volunteers. Another study conducted by the University of Georgia in 2003 found that caffeine mitigates inflammation in the body by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain.

Coffee stimulates the nervous system. This increases mental alertness so drinking a cup of java before an AM workout sesh might make your workout more enjoyable and more efficient. Drinking a few cups of java post workout, especially if you are a high performance athlete or dancer, along with eating a meal rich in good carbs may increase the body’s glycogen storage for your next workout. Glycogen provides short-term energy storage to your cells so when you need to exert high short bursts of energy during training or a practice you will be fully equipped to do so.

With all this said and done, we can see that the only healthy item in a dancer's diet is the coffee cup that seems to be permanently glued into her hand...not the cigarettes, candy, Diet Coke or even those dried out carrot sticks.

Further Reading:

Caffeine Cuts Post-Workout Pain By Nearly 50 Percent, Study Finds

Real Nutrition: Can You Fight Inflammation with Food?

Caffeine May Reduce Post-Workout Pain

Study Finds Coffee May Help Atheltes Recover After Workout